was born to and raised in Golden, Colorado, by Richard, a top gun pilot and explosive engineer and Virginia, a substitute English teacher and homemaker. After graduating Golden High School, she attended Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver. While attending RMCAD, she landed a job with Experimental and Applied Sciences as charitable director (one of six employees), working with children and women. In 1998, the company was sold and Cusack decided to travel for the next four years. Her travels led her to Australia, Thailand, Tahiti, Iceland, Japan and Africa.

Upon returning to the US, she took a job at a coffee shop which she now considers "the greatest job in the world." She looks forward to being a mom and taking care of her family.

In 1996, she lost her 18-year-old younger brother, Kyle, to a drunk driver. Her mother now conducts motivation speaking to high school students about the consequences of drinking and driving.

Cusack is currently dating Crissy, whom she's been with for three years. Her birth date is January 25, 1973.

Brady Finta was born in San Diego. At the time, his father was in Vietnam on one of his two tours as a fighter pilot in the US Navy. With his father being in the US Navy, they relocated many times, including Camarillo, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Pax River, Maryland; San Diego, California; Farifax, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Finta attended 10 schools before high school and finished at James Island High School in Chas, South Carolina. He then attended the University of South Carolina, where he received a degree in Political Science and played on the rugby team. After spending the summer after graduation in Norway (his father was stationed there), Finta went to the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School as a result of having gone through college on a Marine ROTC scholarship. He became a second lieutenant, trained as an infantry officer for a year and was then assigned his first platoon in Hawaii. After three years (with one year of it deployed to Japan), he was transferred to Camp Pendleton, California. Approximately two years later, he resigned his commission and joined the FBI in 1998.

After graduating the FBI Academy, he was posted to the Los Angeles Division (Orange County) and assigned to the Asian Organized Crime section, where he has been ever since. Soon after completing his agent probation, he tried out and was selected to be a member of the FBI Los Angeles SWAT Team. He will soon be working counter terrorism. Finta's mother is currently pursuing a master's degree in theology at a Jesuit University in Ohio. His father retired from the Navy and lives and works in Spokane, Washington. His older brother, Jim, is a helicopter pilot for the Coast Guard in Seattle, Washington. His older sister, Lori, is a film editor in Memphis, Tennessee. His younger sister, Gina, is a dance instructor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also has a half sister, Katya. In addition, has eight nieces and nephews.

Finta's hobbies include surfing, home improvement and traveling. He has traveled the US and abroad, having served in Okinawa, Japan, among other places. He describes himself as enthusiastic, athletic and motivated. He enjoys playing rugby and watching football. His hero is a 20-year-old lance corporal who returned from Iraq missing an eye. To Finta, that kind of courage and self-sacrifice defines heroes.

Finta currently lives in Huntington Beach, California, with his fiancée, Broni. His birth date is December 17, 1970.

Brook Geraghty was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He grew up in Winthrop, Massachusetts, a small town just outside of Boston. He attended Winthrop High School, where he played varsity soccer and hockey and graduated in 1995.

Geraghty played hockey after high school, which led him to The Winchendson School where he became a member of their Division II New England Championship hockey team. In 1997, Geraghty played for a junior hockey team called the Boston Bulldogs. He then attended Bentley College where he also played on their hockey team and was a member of the 2001 senior class cabinet. While in college, he spent his summers working at a day camp for kids. Upon graduation from college, Geraghty traveled to Germany. Returning to the US, he became employed with a sales team of a Fortune 500 company.

In his spare time, Geraghty enjoys playing ice hockey, working out and hanging with his friends. He is a self-described SURVIVOR fanatic.

Geraghty currently lives in Winthrop, Massachusetts His birth date is November 20, 1976.

James "Chad" Crittenden was born on a military base in Oceanside, California. Growing up in Half Moon Bay, California, he discovered a love of sports and the outdoors, particularly soccer and fishing.

Crittenden attended Half Moon Bay High School, where he participated in many sports (soccer, tennis, bowling, fishing, running, mountain biking) as he pursued a collegiate future.

After high school, Crittenden decided to work at a local community college before pursuing studies at the University of California at Davis, majoring in International Relations with an emphasis on world resources, the environment and Spanish. Upon graduation, he accepted summer day-care jobs that ultimately led him to an after-school tutoring program. From there, he accepted an offer to head a new bilingual tutoring program in San Jose. Two years later, an internship where he taught a bilingual second grade class launched his career.

After two years teaching in San Jose, Crittenden accepted a teaching contract in San Salvador, El Salvador, where he met his wife, Dyann. Upon returning to the US, Crittenden and his family settled in the San Francisco Bay area. They have two children, Clara (3) and Trevor (4 months).

About one and a half years ago, Crittenden went to the doctor to have a lump on the bottom of his foot removed and discovered find it was a cancerous tumor. Synovial Sarcoma is a rare and deadly form of cancer (comprising less than one percent of all cancers) and amputation was necessary just below the knee. His recovery was miraculously quick, and he completed a triathlon nine months after the surgery. After many prostheses and much development, he feels that he has almost reached his post-surgery potential. Crittenden has been cancer-free for almost two years and has decided to take a leave of absence to be a full-time dad, which he has been planning for some time. He looks forward to the adventure.

Originally from West Jefferson, Ohio, Chris Daugherty attended Madison Plains High School, followed by two years of college at Kentucky Christian College. Daughtery aspires to be a teacher and is most proud to have been able to entertain a class of 4th graders on Career Day.

Daugherty currently works for the Ohio Department of Transportation building roads. He previously worked for his father's drainage company as a heavy equipment operator and has also worked in a sporting goods store. His hobbies include going to NASCAR races, four-wheeling in his jeep and playing basketball. He describes himself as spontaneous, funny and creative. He loves children and tends to gravitate toward the underdog. He believes his ability to think quickly on his feet, willingness to help others and strong physical and mental condition will help him become the Sole Survivor.

Daugherty currently resides in South Vienna, Ohio, with his fiancée, Lorie, and his pet lizard. His birth date is August 29, 1970.

Dolly Neely was born in Clarion, Pennsylvania. She spent approximately four years living on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, while attending classes and hanging out at the National Press Club (her mother works for the World Bank) where, along the way, she met former Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, as well as President George W. Bush. Her overseas journeys have taken her to Germany, England, Uruguay and Argentina.

Neely currently lives at Lake Latonka located in Mercer, Pennsylvania. She is a shepherdess to approximately 40 sheep on her 90-acre farm, having taken over after her grandfather's death in November 2003. Along with taking care of her sheep, she likes to spend her time snow and water skiing, mountain biking, gardening, rifle hunting, trapping for muskrats and beavers and reading the magazine National Rifleman. She is a member of the NRA, loves romance music from the 40s and 50s and says "Seven-Year Itch" is her favorite movie.

Neely is extremely proud that she is true close friends with her mom and both her grandparents and describes herself as smart, worldly, self confident, bossy and sensitive. Neely says that Jesus Christ is her ultimate hero because he is the savior for all. While she would give up her sheep for six months in order to get a $1 million, she wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize her spot in heaven. She believes that she will bring her communication, creativity and practical skills to SURVIVOR:VANUATU and says her motivation for being on the show is to meet new people and experience new things. She says that she could be the Sole Survivor because she has lots of determination and resolve. Her birth date is November 18, 1978.

Eliza Orlins was born in New York City, where she grew up when not traveling to China with her family. When she was four years old, she and her parents went to Beijing, where they adopted her sister, Sabrina. Sixteen months later, her youngest sister, Emily, was born. Her father's career moved them to Hong Kong, where she attended Hong Kong International School. A couple of years later, her family moved back to New York until 1995, when they moved to Washington, DC She attended the Sidwell Friends School where she ran varsity track and cross country. She participated in the Marine Corps Marathon with the AIDS Marathon Training Program her junior year. At Sidwell, she also wrote and edited for the school newspaper and was the assistant director of the Spring Musical during her senior year. Last summer, Orlins interned at the Legal Aid Society in New York City

Orlins is currently a senior at Syracuse University, where she is working a dual major in international relations and political science, with a minor in Chinese. She is a Dean's Scholar and has made Dean's List every semester. She is in the process of applying to law school and intends to be a public defender after graduation. She's a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and was the vice president of New Member Recruitment, for which they won the award for best overall recruitment at their national convention.

Orlins is also a member of the Golden Key Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is currently working on her Honor's Thesis and will graduate in May 2005.

Orlins describes herself as an intense, vivacious, driven and politically active woman who loves reality television, sports and eating. She says she brings her competitiveness, speed, swimming skills and enthusiasm to SURVIVOR: VANUATU. She believes that she can be the Sole Survivor because "people will underestimate me."

Orlins has been dating her boyfriend, Justin, for four years. Her birth date is December 25, 1982. Favorites

Originally from Branford, Connecticut, John Kenney attended Branford High School, where he played basketball, lacrosse and baseball. He then attended college for two years at Northeastern University in Boston, where he studied Media Arts and Design.

After college, Kenney moved to Manhattan, New York to pursue a modeling career. While there, he also modeled in Paris, Milan, Korea and Miami. Approximately two years ago, Kenney relocated to Los Angels and most recently worked as a mechanical bull operator at a saddle ranch bar. He aspires to teach art and film and considers himself an artist, particularly with computer graphic design. He has previously worked as a construction worker and an x-ray technician.

Kenney describes himself as friendly, warm and a people person who at the same time is very competitive. John enjoys playing basketball and hiking and is most proud of the fact that he has traveled so much and met so many people in his young age. His hero is his mom because she works hard and enjoys what she does. His primary motivation for being on SURVIVOR:VANUATU is to win the money but also "the experience of doing all this crazy intense challenge stuff that although may not be enjoyable while I'm doing it, will be amazing to look back on." He also believes that he can be the Sole Survivor because he has the ability to read people well.

Kenney is currently single and living in Los Angeles. His birth date is September 26, 1981.

John Palyok was born in Hobart, Indiana, to John and Jenny and has a younger brother, Mike. He attended Hobart High School, where he participated in football, track and wrestling. He and his football team won the 1989 State Championship. Additionally, Palyok was awarded All-State, All-Conference and Team Captain of the 1990 football season.

Palyok earned a Division II football scholarship to Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. During college, he was a member of the Theta Chi national fraternity, vice president of the American Marketing Association and made honorable mention on the Dean's List twice. He participated in a summer internship program at a well-known amusement park, where he was able to attend formal business seminars and assist in the recreational department of the company. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration. Upon graduation, Palyok earned a graduate assistantship to Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. While there, he worked as the assistant business operations manager for their athletic department and worked at the local YMCA. In addition, he co-founded the organization Students for Responsible Business. In 1997, he received his master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management information systems.

After school, Palyok moved to Chicago, where he became a general manager for a Computerized Maintenance Management company, managing their Midwest regional office. He then moved to California to assist in starting up an educational software company, serving as the director of technical support and services. Most recently, Palyok has started a retail management career with one of the largest Home Depot stores in the world. Palyok's hobbies include camping, martial arts, hunting, fishing, scuba diving, archery, golf and traveling. He was PADI certified in 2000. He is a member of the Long Beach Bow Hunter's Club. Palyok was recently recognized by the California Bowmen Hunters's Club for harvesting one of the top 20 largest deer ever recorded in the state.

Palyok currently lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Tammy, and their cat, Keeley. His birth date is May 13, 1973Favorites

Julie Berry was born in Lewiston, Maine. She was adopted and separated from her only biological sibling when she was 5 years old. She grew up in Gorham, Maine, with a very intellectually stimulating and expansive family who encouraged individuality and creativity. Her parents, Judy and Les, have been happily married for more than 30 years. Her brother, Chris, recently celebrated his one-year anniversary with his wife, Kate, and has just passed the bar exam.

Berry received a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Community Development with a minor in Psychology from East Carolina University in North Carolina. Her junior year, she traveled to California through the National Student Exchange to attend school at California State University at Northridge. A Native American, Berry is from the Maliseet tribe and is a member of the East Carolina Native American Organization. In December, 2003, she was accepted into the Peace Corps to advocate health promotion and worked with youths at risk. Previously, she worked as a behavioral interventionist for children who are also adopted and facing social and emotional issues. She plans to further her studies by pursuing her Masters in Counseling.

Very recently, Berry was reunited with her biological sister and considers it the most magical and important experience of her life.

Lea "Sarge" Masters was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended school at the University of Maryland, City Colleges of Chicago and Central Texas University, where he eventually earned a master's degree in chemical engineering. He also he attended the Savannah Barber Institute in Savannah, Georgia. Masters has previously been employed as a department manager of a wholesale store and a manager at a grocery store. He is a trained EMT, a master barber and a deputy sheriff and has credentials in scuba diving, advanced mountaineering/rapelling and is a nuclear weapons specialist.

Masters enlisted in the US Army in 1986, where he became a cannon crewmember. He then held various jobs ranging from section chief to chief of firing battery (chief of smoke). He is currently a drill sergeant and an Officer. He has traveled all over the world, including Korea, Germany and Greece. He has served in various contingency locations including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and, most recently, Iraq.

He describes himself as an All-American family man who considers his greatest accomplishment to be his son, Kris, 18. He says his hero is his mom because she has been through a lot but still managed to raise three fine children throughout it all. He enjoys fishing, watching NASCAR and professional racer Ricky Rudd and bowling. Masters describes his perfect day as waking up at Charlotte Motor Speedway and getting Ricky Rudd ready for the race by test-driving the #21 car around the track at 185 miles per hour.

Masters says that while he would run throughout Times Square naked to get a $1 million, he wouldn't do anything that involved lethal consequences for the money. If he does win a million, he'd use the money to send his son to college. He describes himself as having a never-quit attitude, adept at getting by on nothing and believes he can be the Sole Survivor because "I never quit, and I feel if you live by values, then everything else will work itself out."

Masters currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife of 20 years, Lupe, and their son. They have one dog, Chow Chow, and two cats, Tigger and Fluffy. His birth date is March 28, 1964.

Born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, Leann Slaby graduated from D.C. Everest High School in Schofield, Wisconsin. After high school, she began modeling in Minneapolis. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Milwaukee and has been doing commercial print modeling in both Milwaukee and Chicago for the past 15 years.

About four years ago, Slaby began acting, having done various commercials, and has appeared in two independent films. She has been singing in a cover band for four years as well. She sang the National Anthem at games for the Milwaukee Admirals and Milwaukee Brewers.

For the last ten years, Slaby has also been working as a research assistant for an investment firm in Milwaukee.

In 1998, Slaby donated one of her kidneys to her father when his kidneys began failing due to diabetes. Six years later, his new kidney is still working wonderfully.

Slaby, big on adventure and thrills, enjoys bungee jumping and skydiving. Her hobbies include fishing, volleyball, golf and blackjack in Las Vegas.

Recently divorced, Slaby, a huge animal lover, currently lives in the Milwaukee area with her dog, Floyd. Her birth date is July 8, 1969.

Lisa Keiffer was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She considers herself a true Cajun, thanks to the French influence of her mother, who grew up on the Louisiana bayou.

Keiffer attended Louisiana State University for three years, where she was an LSU cheerleader for both football and basketball. She was a member of the Homecoming Court for two consecutive years and was elected Alpha Tau Omega's "Mardi Gras Queen." She participated in the 1981 National Collegiate Cheerleading Championship and cheered at the 1981 NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament in Philadelphia. She then went on to finish college at Loyola University in New Orleans where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications.

Keiffer was employed for 10 years as a pharmaceutical sales representative. She enjoys tennis, antique shopping, cooking and homemade soap making. She has also acted in community theater and directed dramas at her church, Trinity Evangelical Free, for the past ten years.

Born-again Christians, Keiffer and her husband, Thomas, currently live outside New Orleans on the " Northshore" in Mandeville, Louisiana, along with five of their six children (Nate, 22; Callie, 14, and Rachel, 13 ( Keiffer's stepdaughters); TK, 8; Charley, 7; and Nicholas, 5). They also have a goat (Waddles), a dog (Murray) and a miniature donkey (Dexter). Keiffer's birth date is May 3, 1960

Mia Galeotalanza was born and raised in Tom's River, New Jersey. She attended Northeastern College in Boston, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. While in Boston, she tended bar for 10 years.

Having moved from Boston to McKinney, Texas, almost three years ago, Galeotalanza most recently worked as a Director of Operations for a technology company during the day and as a waitress at night. She also volunteers at the SPCA (animal rescue league) in McKinney, Texas.

Galeotalanza enjoys shopping, running, working out, playing with her dog, finding out how to make a fortune and "grilling people to death." She describes herself as fun, optimistic and far too inquisitive.

Currently single, Galeotalanza just moved back to Boston, Massachusetts. Her birth date is August 17.

Rory Freeman was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He has three brothers, Richard, James and Olabanji (OJ), and one sister, Dahomey.

Freeman attended boarding school in Connecticut before graduating from Washington High School in Kansas City. He went on to attend Georgetown University School of Foreign Services, where he studied African government and history. He left college before graduation in order to accept a position as a television reporter for the Nigerian Television Authority. He remained in Nigeria for 18 months prior to returning to the U.S. to work for an inner-city social service agency back in Des Moines. He remained there for seven years as a counselor specializing in substance abuse, mental health evaluations and drug testing. Most of his professional career has been spent working in adult and adolescent corrections and detention centers. He is currently employed by the City of Des Moines as an S8 housing case manager.

Freeman's hobbies include reading, golf, hiking, camping, traveling and attending professional sporting events (he's a huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs). He collects Negro League Baseball memorabilia and jerseys. He enjoys reggae, Afro-Caribbean, hip-hop and gospel music.

Freeman lives with his wife of six years, Simone, their three-year-old son, Zion, and their two dogs. They are members of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. His birth date is October 30, 1968. Favorites

Masters currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife of 20 years, Lupe, and their son. They have one dog, Chow Chow, and two cats, Tigger and Fluffy. His birth date is March 28, 1964.

)() )() His cat's name is Fluffy, that so does not sound like a name he would pick out by looking at him.... )() )() Sorry needed a laugh this morning. Thanks for all the posting Puddin....I reading...PS is this really you posting, isn't it a little early for you? ?? ?? )() _{}

Dr. Scout Cloud Lee's professional career spans more than 30 years, featuring stints as the CEO of her performance consulting company, a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, rancher, former university professor (University of Illinois and Oklahoma State University) and author of eleven books and more than 100 articles. She is also the founder of The Magical Child Foundation and a faculty member for the Institute for Management Studies. Utilizing her keen observation skills, she strategically assists individuals and teams in identifying and repeating their personal excellence. Her work has been featured in documentaries and television specials on all major networks.

Lee did undergraduate work at the University of South Florida in Tampa before receiving a Bachelor of Science in theology from Toccoa Falls College in Georgia. She then received master's and doctorate degrees in Education from the University of Georgia (Athens).

In the 1980s, Lee began focusing her skills as a singer/songwriter and has since produced two compact discs. She calls her original tunes "Country Rock Gypsy Funk."

Among her many accomplishments, Lee was voted Outstanding Teacher of the Year at Oklahoma State University in 1980, and Oklahoma's Outstanding Young Woman in American in 1980. In 2002, Lee was honored to carry the Olympic torch, exemplifying the theme of "Light the Fire Within."

Lee has survived cancer, bankruptcy, divorce, car wrecks and horse bucks. In the 1990s, Lee was diagnosed with a fatal form of cancer, melanoma, and managed to beat the odds and is going strong 14 years later. Most recently, she received a total knee replacement, which she refers to as her "bionic knee." Lee is in a committed relationship with Annie, her best friend and playmate of twenty-six years. She owns eight horses, four dogs, two cows, and several cats, llamas and squirrels. She and Annie also have a second home in Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii. She loves to spend her time writing her own music, building indigenous lodges, camping and riding her horses. She is most proud of living her life on her terms and from shying "away from social prescriptions, overcoming many obstacles, and becoming a successful, affluent, land-bearing Bohemian in the international corporate arena."

Lee currently lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Her birth date is November 8, 1944

Travis "Bubba" Sampson was born and raised in Blountville, Tennessee, where he spent a lot of time working on his grandfather's farm. As a child, Sampson spent a lot of his time with his grandfather, watching wrestling and THE PRICE IS RIGHT. He attended Sullivan Central High School, where he played football all four years. He then attended three years of college at Northeast State Technical Community College in Blountville. He obtained employment at a sales plant and eagerly pursued a career in wrestling on the side. Sampson was granted a tryout match with the National Championship Wrestling (NCW) in Cornelia, Georgia. NCW became the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) when Sampson began doing shows for the World Championship Wrestling and then with World Wrestling Entertainment. He was known to the wrestling community as "Romeo Bliss."

Two years after Sampson was married, he decided to retire from wrestling to make his family his priority. In 2002, Sampson attended Walter State Police Academy, where he received a certificate of basic law enforcement in officer education. He currently lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, with his wife, Jennifer and their four boys, Aaron, 11; Erick, 8; Trevor, 7 and Gabriel, 2 ½.

Sampson currently works in loss prevention at Wal-Mart and also coaches football at the Johnson City Boys and Girls Club. He describes himself as aggressive, persistent and outspoken and enjoys critiquing other people's flaws, showing off when weight training and playing video games. He says his proudest accomplishment is his four sons. His wife is his hero because she went through 38 months of pain to bring them all into this world. He is a member of the NRA, Civil War Historical Society and Police Benevolent Association and is very active with his church.

Travis believes he will bring his leadership, aggressiveness and inventiveness to SURVIVOR:VANUATU, and his primary reason for participating is to live a life that isn't so ordinary. He believes that he could be the Sole Survivor because he has "learned how to adapt to different people and different situations. I can schmooze anybody, become their best friend then take their butt…and vote them off."

Twila Tanner was born in Osceola, Iowa, where she lived for 11 years. She eventually moved to Missouri, where she attended Marshall High School. She currently works full time for the Missouri Department of Transportation doing highway repair. She also works part-time as a custodian for Marshall Public Schools and on the weekends for Brown Construction of Gilliam, Mississippi, running heavy equipment.

Tanner describes herself as hardworking, problem-solving and a good friend who enjoys riding motorcycles, horseback riding and mushroom hunting when she can find the time. She says her greatest accomplishment was being a single mom and raising her son, James, 23, who spent three years in the US Navy working in aviation hydraulics. Her hero is John Wayne, because "he always held his head high and never took crap from anyone," she says. Tanner's main motivation to be on SURVIVOR:VANUATU is for the challenge, while her secondary motivation is the money. She says she could be the Sole Survivor because she is "strong-willed and determined to make a better life" for herself, and possibly give her son "a jump-start in life."

Tanner currently resides in Marshall, Missouri. Her birth date is October 12, 1962. Favorites

Quote from: puddin on Today at 09:34:02amMasters currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife of 20 years, Lupe, and their son. They have one dog, Chow Chow, and two cats, Tigger and Fluffy. His birth date is March 28, 1964.

His cat's name is Fluffy, that so does not sound like a name he would pick out by looking at him.... Sorry needed a laugh this morning. Thanks for all the posting Puddin....I reading...PS is this really you posting, isn't it a little early for you

Yes !! its really me ^:)^..Twila..OMG she is our Sue Hawk/ Lill( Boyscout Lill) ..wait till you get a load of her ..and Lea..the Jar head ..OMG..I dislike him already !!

(CBS) A total of 18 new castaways will complete in separate tribes of men versus women on "Survivor: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire," the ninth installment of the hit TV series, which will premiere Thursday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, on CBS.

The identities of the castaways were unveiled Tuesday on The Early Show.

"Survivor: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire" takes place on the islands of Vanuatu, located in the remote waters of the South Pacific near the tumultuous "Ring Of Fire," a land of volcanoes and rituals where sorcery and black magic are a part of tribal life and the spirits of the dead are believed to have power over the living.

More than 80 islands are home to more than 100 languages and a diverse group of tribes and clans whose history includes cannibalism.

The team colors are yellow for Yasur (the women) and red for Lopevi (the men). The castaways for "Survivor: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire" are:

Julie Berry, 23, a youth mentor from Gorham, Maine

Chad Crittenden, 35, a teacher from Oakland, Calif. (Chad is an amputee.)

Rob and Amber immediately after she accepted his marriage proposal last May (Photo: CBS)

"What a crew."Rob Mariano on new "Survivor" cast

(CBS) What can we expect from the cast of "Survivor: Vanuatu – Islands of Fire"? Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano, the two top finishers of last season's "Survivor: All-Stars," gave their assessments on The Early Show.

"What a crew," said Rob. "I think (executive producer) Mark Burnett has put together a great cast of good-looking people. My top pick: I'm going for the kid from Boston."

All right. Rob might be partial to "the kid from Boston" (Brook Geraghty) because Rob is a kid from Boston himself. But are there other reasons?

"I like the fact he seemed to have his priorities down," Rob explains. "He seems to know it's a game, as they all said. But he seems to do what it's gonna take to win."

As for Amber, she said, "I'm going to go with two choices. The girl, Julie (Berry). I like Julie. And for a guy, I like Chris (Daugherty), the guy from Ohio. They seem like they're not there for the experience. They seem like they're there for the game. They're not worried about how they're going to come off on TV. They have the right things in mind… Their goal is the million dollars. And they seem like they'll be pretty good all around in getting along with people and at the challenges."

According to Amber, that's the key to winning: To come into the game not to become a TV star but to play.

She explained, "The first time in Australia, it was there. I'm in Australia, happy just to be there. The second time, I could care less where I was. I was there to win the money. My eye never came off the money."

Neither Rob nor Amber are crazy about Lea Masters, the drill sergeant from South Carolina, mainly because they feel he will not be able to let go of the whole "drill sergeant" persona.

"If you're going to be brutally honest, you have to do it only to the cameras," explained Rob. "You can't be out doing it in the open, because sooner or later, they'll catch on."

Added Amber, "You can't be too bossy out there. The bossy ones seem to get voted out quickly."

Rob and Amber are still thinking about a date for their wedding, and there's "a big possibility" that it will be televised.